Electronic Reversing Valve

ABSTRACT

An electronic reversing valve for use in heat pump systems includes a housing having multiple ports and a slider positioned in a cavity of the housing, where the slider has multiple channels. The multiple ports and the multiple channels define refrigerant flow paths depending on a position of the slider in the cavity of the housing. The electronic reversing valve also includes a rotor positioned in the cavity of the housing and a stator positioned outside of the housing. The slider is moveable laterally within the cavity of the housing in response to a rotation of the rotor, where the rotor is designed to rotate in response to a magnetic force generated by the stator.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to heat pump systems, and more particularly to an electronic reversing valve of heat pump systems.

BACKGROUND

In general, typical heat pump systems include a reversing valve that is used to change the heat refrigerant flow between an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. For example, a typical reversing valve may be in a cooling mode that allows the transfer of heat from an indoor coil to an outdoor coil. The reversing valve may also be in a heating mode that allows the transfer of heat from the outdoor coil to the indoor coil. A typical reversing valve is electrically triggered and uses an electromagnetic solenoid to shift a pilot valve. The pilot valve in turn directs a refrigerant to move a slider of the reversing valve. A constant power is typically applied to the solenoid to hold the slider of the reversing valve in a heating position or in a cooling position often consuming power for an entire season. Further, because the position of the slider may not always be clearly known, it may be unclear whether the slider is completely seated in a cooling or heating position. Thus, a solution that allows a more controlled positioning of the slider of a reversing valve and that consumes less power than a typical reversing valve may be desirable.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates generally to heat pump systems, and more particularly to an electronic reversing valve of heat pump systems. In some example embodiments, an electronic reversing valve for use in heat pump systems includes a housing having multiple ports and a slider positioned in a cavity of the housing, where the slider has multiple channels. The multiple ports and the multiple channels define refrigerant flow paths depending on a position of the slider in the cavity of the housing. The electronic reversing valve also includes a rotor positioned in the cavity of the housing and a stator positioned outside of the housing. The slider is moveable laterally within the cavity of the housing in response to a rotation of the rotor, where the rotor is designed to rotate in response to a magnetic force generated by the stator.

Another example embodiment is directed to a rotor and slider assembly of an electronic reversing valve for use in heat pump systems, where the rotor and slider assembly includes a slider having multiple channels, a rotor and a shaft attached to the rotor and to the slider. The rotor is rotatable about a portion of the shaft that is attached to the rotor, where the shaft is moveable laterally in response to a rotation of the rotor. The slider is moveable laterally along with the shaft.

In another example embodiment, a heat pump system includes an indoor coil, an outdoor coil, a compressor, and an electronic reversing valve. The electronic reversing valve includes a housing having multiple ports, and a slider positioned in the cavity of the housing, where the slider has multiple channels. The multiple ports and the multiple channels define refrigerant flow paths between the compressor, and the indoor coil and the outdoor coil based on a position of the slider in the cavity of the housing. The electronic reversing valve further includes a rotor positioned in the cavity of the housing, and a stator positioned outside of the housing. The slider is moveable laterally within the cavity of the housing in response to a rotation of the rotor, where the rotor is designed to rotate in response to a magnetic force generated by the stator.

These and other aspects, objects, features, and embodiments will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an electronic reversing valve according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the electronic reversing valve of FIG. 1 showing internal components of the electronic reversing valve according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 3A illustrates a top view of a rotor and slider assembly of the electronic reversing valve of FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 3B illustrates a side view of the rotor and slider assembly of the electronic reversing valve of FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 3C illustrates a bottom view of a rotor and slider assembly of the electronic reversing valve of FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 4A illustrates a side view of a rotor and slider assembly for use in the electronic reversing valve of FIG. 1 according to another example embodiment;

FIG. 4B illustrates a retaining structure of the rotor and slider assembly 400 according to another example embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the electronic reversing valve of FIG. 1 configured to operate in a first mode according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the electronic reversing valve of FIG. 1 configured to operate in a second mode according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 7 illustrates a heat pump system including the electronic reversing valve of FIG. 1 in a cooling mode according to an example embodiment; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a heat pump system including the electronic reversing valve of FIG. 1 in a heating mode according to an example embodiment.

The drawings illustrate only example embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope. The elements and features shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the example embodiments. Additionally, certain dimensions or placements may be exaggerated to help visually convey such principles. In the drawings, the same reference numerals that are used in different drawings designate like or corresponding, but not necessarily identical elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

In the following paragraphs, example embodiments will be described in further detail with reference to the figures. In the description, well-known components, methods, and/or processing techniques are omitted or briefly described. Furthermore, reference to various feature(s) of the embodiments is not to suggest that all embodiments must include the referenced feature(s).

Turning now to the figures, particular example embodiments are described. FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an electronic reversing valve 100 according to an example embodiment. In some example embodiments, the electronic reversing valve 100 includes a housing 102 and a stator 104 attached to the housing 102 on the outside of the housing 102. For example, the stator 104 may have a rubber jacket that is slipped over the housing 102 at one end of the housing 102 as shown in FIG. 1.

In some example embodiments, the housing 102 may include multiple ports 106, 108, 110, 112. For example, the port 106 may be on one side of the housing 102 and the ports 108, 110, 112 may be on an opposite side of the housing 102. The ports 106-112 provide openings into and/or out of the cavity of the housing 102. To illustrate, the port 106 may be a discharge line input port designed to be fluidly coupled to a discharge port of a compressor of a heat pump system. The port 108 may be a suction line output port designed to be fluidly coupled to a suction port of a compressor of a heat pump system.

In some example embodiments, the port 110 may be an indoor unit connection port designed to be fluidly coupled to an indoor coil of a heat pump system, and the port 112 may be an outdoor unit connection port designed to be fluidly coupled to an outdoor coil of a heat pump system. Alternatively, the port 110 may be an outdoor unit connection port designed to be fluidly coupled to an outdoor coil of a heat pump system, and the port 112 may be an indoor unit connection port designed to be fluidly coupled to an indoor coil of a heat pump system.

In some example embodiments, the dimensions of electronic reversing valve 100 are substantially the same as the dimensions of a typical reversing valve. For example, the port 106 may have an outer diameter of approximately 0.5 inches, and the ports 108-112 may each have an outer diameter of approximately 0.75 inches. The housing 102 may also have a cylindrical shape that is similar to typical reversing valves. The stator 104 may be positioned annularly on the outside of the housing 102 at one of the housing 102.

In some example embodiments, the stator 104 may generate a magnetic force that is applied to a rotor positioned in the cavity of the housing 102 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5. To illustrate, the housing 102 may be at least partially made from a non-ferrous material (e.g., copper) that allows the magnetic field generated by the stator 104 to reach the rotor. The stator 104 may generate the magnetic field in response to an electrical signal provided to the stator 104 via an electrical connection 114 (e.g., one or more electrical wires). The electrical connection 114 may be connected to a controller/control board, for example, using a connector 116. Alternatively, the electrical connection 114 may be connected to the controller/control board without the use of the connector 116. The electrical signal that is provided to the stator 104 via the electrical connection 114 may include one or more electrical pulses that result in the stator 104 generating corresponding magnetic forces.

In some example embodiments, the ports 106-112 may be attached to the housing 102, for example, by welding the ports 106-112 to the housing 102 at respective openings in the housing 102. The ports 106-112, which may have a tubular or another shape, may be made from a different material or the same material as the housing 102. For example, the housing 102 and the ports 106-112 may be made from copper and/or another material in a manner that can be contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure. The stator 104 can be attached to the housing 102 using a rubber jacket that is slipped over a portion of the housing 102. The rubber jacket may also provide a protection to the stator 104 from outside elements.

In some example embodiments, the electronic reversing valve 100 may be operated in a cooling mode or a heating mode of a heat pump system. As explained in more detail below, a slider that is positioned in the cavity of the housing 102 may move laterally within the housing 102 opening and closing refrigerant flow paths through the electronic reversing valve 100. The movement of the slider is controlled by the stator 104 that controls the rotation of the rotor that is inside the housing 102. By controlling the electrical pulses that are provided to the stator 104 based on the desired mode of operation, the flow paths through the electronic reversing valve 100 can be controlled.

Although the electronic reversing valve 100 is shown in a particular orientation, the electronic reversing valve 100 may be used in a different orientation without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Although the electronic reversing valve 100 is shown as having a particular shape, in alternative embodiments, the electronic reversing valve 100 may have a different shape without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the housing 102 may have a non-cylindrical shape. As another example, end portions of the housing 102 may have a round shape or another shape without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In some alternative embodiments, the ports 106-112 may be at different locations than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In some alternative embodiments, the stator 104 may be at a different location than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the stator 104 may be at the opposite end of the housing 102 or in a middle portion of the housing 102.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the electronic reversing valve 100 of FIG. 1 showing internal components of the electronic reversing valve 100 according to an example embodiment. In FIG. 2, the portions of the housing 102 and the portion of the stator 104 are shown as transparent components to more clearly show the internal components of the electronic reversing valve 100. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in some example embodiments, the electronic reversing valve 100 includes a slider 202 and a rotor 204 that are positioned in the cavity of the housing 102. The stator 104 is annularly positioned around a portion of the housing such that the stator 204 is at least partially aligned with the rotor 204. In some example embodiments, the rotor 204 may be a 6-pole or 8-pole direct-current (DC) brushless rotor.

In some example embodiments, the electronic reversing valve 100 may also include a shaft 206 that is attached to the slider 202 and to the rotor 204. The diagonal lines and the dotted line boundary of the shaft 206 in FIG. 2 are intended to show threads of the shaft 206. The slider 102 is moveable laterally (i.e., right to left and left to right in the orientation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) within the cavity of the housing 102 in response to a rotation of the rotor 204. To illustrate, the rotor 204 may rotate in response to a magnetic force generated by the stator 104 based on an electrical signal (e.g., an electrical pulse) provided to the stator 104. In some example embodiments, the rotor 204 may have a cylindrical outer shape and may have an outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the housing 102 such that the rotor 204 can freely rotate within the housing 102.

In some example embodiments, the rotor 204 may include an attachment hole 228 (shown in FIG. 2 bounded by dotted lines for illustrative purposes), and a portion 208 of the shaft 206 may be in the attachment hole 228 such that the rotor 204 can rotate about the portion 208 of the shaft 206. The shaft 206 may be move laterally based on the rotation of the rotor 204. For example, the shaft 206 may move further into the attachment hole 228 in response to a rotation of the rotor 204 in one direction (e.g., a clockwise direction) and the shaft 206 may move in the opposite lateral direction in response to a rotation of the rotor 204 in another direction (e.g., a counterclockwise direction). To illustrate, at least the portion 208 of the shaft 206 and the attachment hole 228 may be threaded such that the shaft 206 moves laterally within the attachment hole 208 in response to the rotation of the rotor 204.

In some example embodiments, an end portion 210 of the shaft 206 is attached to the slider 202 such that the shaft 206 can rotate relative to the slider 202. For example, the end portion 210 of the shaft 206 may be positioned in an attachment hole 230 (shown in dotted lines for illustrative purposes) of the slider 202 in a laterally fixed position (or a restricted lateral movement position) with respect to the slider 202. Such positioning of the end portion 210 enables the slider 202 to move laterally along with the shaft 206 while allowing the shaft 206 to rotate within the attachment hole 230. To illustrate, the attachment hole 230 may be physically restricted (e.g., narrowed) after the end portion 210 is inserted into the attachment hole 230. The end portion 210 may or may not be threaded. To limit a rotational movement of the slider 202, in some example embodiments, a portion 232 of the port 108 may extend into the cavity of the housing 102.

Because the shaft 206 moves laterally in response to the rotation of the rotor 204, the slider 202 moves laterally along with the shaft 206 in response to the rotation of the rotor 204. To illustrate, the slider 202 may move laterally away from the rotor 204 when the rotor rotates in a first direction, and the slider 202 may move laterally toward the rotor 204 when the rotor rotates in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. For example, the first direction may be a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction depending on the threading of the shaft 206 and the attachment hole 208.

In some example embodiments, the slider 202 includes multiple channels. For example, the slider 202 may include a channel 222 that is formed through the slider 202 such that the channel 222 extends between an opening 212 and an opening 218 of the slider 202. For example, the openings 212 and 218 may be diametrically on opposite sides of the slider 202 from each other. The slider 202 may also include a channel 224 that is formed through the slider 202 such that the channel 224 extends between an opening 216 and an opening 220 of the slider 202. For example, the openings 216 and 220 may be diametrically on opposite sides of the slider 202 from each other. The channel 222 or the channel 224 provide a flow path through the port 106 depending on the lateral position of the slider 202 in the cavity of the housing 102.

In some example embodiments, the slider 202 may include a channel 226 that is formed in the slider 202. For example, the channel 226 may have a single opening 214. Alternatively, the channel may have multiple openings that are on the same side of the slider 202. The channel 226 may provide as a refrigerant flow path between the port 108 of the housing 102 and the port 110 or the port 112 depending on the lateral position of the slider 202 in the cavity of the housing 102. In some example embodiments, the portion 232 of the port 108 may extend into the channel 226 to prevent or limit a rotation of the slider 202.

In some example embodiments, electrical pulses of a desired polarity may be applied to the stator 204 via the connection 114 to move the slider 202 to a desired lateral position within the cavity of the housing 102. The number of electrical pulses that need to be applied to the stator 104 to place the slider 202 to a desired position may be determined through a calibration of the electronic reversing valve 100. For example, starting with the slider 202 at a position closest to the rotor 204, an operator and/or a calibration device that apply pulses to the stator 104 can count the number of pulses that are applied to the stator 204 to move the slider 202 to the farthest position in the housing 102. Based on the total number of pulses and the known lateral distance traveled by the slider 202, the number of pulses needed to move the slider 202 from one position to another position and the position of the slider 202 after a particular number of pulses are applied can be determined during normal operations.

By applying pulses to the stator 104, the slider 202 can be moved to a desired position within the housing 102 such that desired refrigerant flow paths through electronic reversing valve 100 are selected based on the desired mode of operation of the electronic reversing valve 100. After the electronic reversing valve 100 is set to operate in either a cooling mode and a heating mode, no electrical power needs to be applied to the stator 104 to maintain the slider 202 in the desired position. By using the electronic reversing valve 100 in heat pump systems, the flow capacity of the electronic reversing valve 100 may also be adjusted by positioning the slider 202 such that opening 218 and the opening 220 have a desired alignment with the port 106 depending on the mode of operation of the electronic reversing valve 100. Because the electronic reversing valve 100 does not rely on pilot valves, block issues that may be associated with typical reversing valves is avoided. The changeover speed from one mode to another can also be performed reliably in a repeatable manner. Changeover speed can be more reliably controlled to optimize noise associated with defrost. In the event of a failure of the stator 204, a new stator can be slipped over housing 102 without the need to replace or open the electronic reversing valve 100.

In some example embodiments, the channels 222, 224, 226 and the attachment hole 230 may be milled out from a solid structure that is made of, for example, brass or another suitable material to form the slider 202. In some example embodiments, the rotor 204 may be made from a non-metallic material that holds magnets such that the rotor 204 can rotate in response to a magnetic force from the stator 104. In some example embodiments, an opening at one end of the housing 102 may be closed after the slider 202 along with the rotor 204 and the shaft 206 are placed in the cavity of the housing 102. In some alternative embodiments, one or more of the ports 106-112 may be attached to the housing 102 after the slider 202 is placed in the cavity of the housing 102.

In some alternative embodiments, the slider 202, the rotor 204, and/or the shaft 206 may have a different shape than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In some alternative embodiments, one or more of the channels 222, 224, 226 may have a different shape than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In some example embodiments, the ports 106-112 may have different shapes than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, one or more of the ports may have a swage end. In some alternative embodiments, the relative dimensions of the different components of the electronic reversing valve 100 may be different than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In some alternative embodiments, the end portion 210 of the shaft 206 may extend into the slider 202 more or less than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In some example embodiments, the electronic reversing valve 100 may include more or fewer components than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 3A illustrates a top view of a rotor and slider assembly 300 of the electronic reversing valve 100 of FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment. FIG. 3B illustrates a side view of the rotor and slider assembly 300 of the electronic reversing valve 100 of FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment. FIG. 3C illustrates a bottom view of a rotor and slider assembly 300 of the electronic reversing valve 100 of FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 1-3C, in some example embodiments, the rotor and slider assembly 300 includes the slider 202, the rotor 204, and the shaft 206 shown in FIG. 2. In contrast to FIG. 2, the portions of the shaft 206 that in the respective attachment holes of the slider 202 and the rotor 204 are not shown in FIGS. 3A-3C.

In some example embodiments, the openings 212, 214, 216 are diametrically on one side of the slider 202 and the openings 218, 220 are on an opposite side of the slider 202. The channels 222, 224 formed through to the slider 202 may be internal to the slider 202 except for the respective openings 212, 218 and 216, 220. The channel 226 is formed in the slider 202 such that the channel 226 can be aligned with at least two of the ports 108, 110, 112 simultaneously.

In some example embodiments, the slider 202 may include o-ring grooves 302, 304 that are formed in the slider 202, for example, by milling the slider 202. For example, the o-ring groove 302 may be proximal to one longitudinal end of the slider 202 and the o-ring 304 may be proximal to another longitudinal end of the slider 202. The o-ring grooves 302, 304 are each designed to hold a respective o-ring (shown in FIG. 5) that is slipped on the slider 202. For example, the o-rings may reduce the risk of refrigerant flow from the channels 222, 224, 226 to the cavity of the housing 102 on the outside of the o-rings.

In some example embodiments, the slider 202 includes bleed channels 306, 308. The bleed channel 306 may fluidly connect the cavity of the housing 102 on one side of the slider 202 with the channel 224. The bleed channel 308 may fluidly connect the cavity of the housing 102 on another side of the slider 202 with the channel 222. The bleed channels 306, 308 may allow refrigerant that enters the cavity of the housing 102 outside of the slider 202 to return back to the respective channel.

In some alternative embodiments, the slider 202, the rotor 204, and/or the slider 202 may have a different shape than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In some alternative embodiments, one or more of the openings 212, 214, 216, 218, 220 may have a different shape and/or dimensions than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In some alternative embodiments, the channels 222, 224, 226 may have a different shape and/or dimensions than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Some portions of the shaft 206 may have a round outer shape or another shape.

FIG. 4A illustrates a side view of a rotor and slider assembly 400 for use in the electronic reversing valve 100 of FIG. 1 according to another example embodiment. FIG. 4B illustrates a retaining structure of the rotor and slider assembly 400 according to another example embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 1-4B, in some example embodiments, the rotor and slider assembly 400 includes the slider 202, the rotor 204, and the shaft 206 and generally corresponds to the rotor and slider assembly 300 shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. In some example embodiments, the rotor and slider assembly 400 may also include a retaining structure 402.

In some example embodiments, the retaining structure 402 is designed to be press fit against the inner surface of the housing 102 such that the retaining structure 402 prevents or limits lateral movement of the rotor 204. To illustrate, a length of the retaining structure 402 may be larger than the inner diameter of the housing 102 allowing the retaining structure 402 to be firmly attached to the inner surface of the housing 102 when the retaining structure 402 is pressed into the cavity of the housing 102.

In some example embodiments, the retaining structure 402 may have a hole 404, where the shaft 206 passes through the hole 404 to extend between the slider 202 and the rotor 204. The hole 404 may be larger than the outer dimension (e.g., diameter) of the shaft 206 such that the shaft 206 does not come in contact with the retaining structure.

In some example embodiments, the slider 202 and the shaft 206 may pushed into the cavity of the housing 102 on an open end of the housing 102 prior to the attachment of the rotor 204 to the shaft 206. The retaining structure 402, which may be made from brass, copper, or another suitable material, may then be press fit into the cavity of the housing 102 such that the shaft 206 passes through the hole 404. The rotor 204 may be attached to the shaft 206 after the retaining structure 402 is securely attached to the inner surface of the housing 102. The open end of the housing 102 may be closed by an end cap after the internal components of the housing 102 are placed in the cavity of the housing 102.

In some alternative embodiments, the slider 202, the rotor 204, the shaft 206, and/or the retaining structure 402 may have a different shape and/or dimensions than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In some alternative embodiments, the hole 402 may a different shape and/or dimensions than shown without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the electronic reversing valve 100 of FIG. 1 configured to operate in a first mode according to an example embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the electronic reversing valve 100 may be used in a cooling mode operation of a heat pump system. In FIG. 5, the stator 104 is not shown for clarity of illustration. Referring to FIGS. 1-5, in some example embodiments, an o-ring 502 may be attached to the slider 202 proximal to one end of the slider 202, and an o-ring 504 may be attached to the slider 202 proximal to another end of the slider 202. For example, the o-ring 502 may be positioned in the groove 304 shown in FIG. 3A, and the o-ring 504 may be positioned in the groove 302 shown in FIG. 3A. The o-rings 502, 504 (e.g., rubber o-rings) may reduce the risk of refrigerant flow from the channels 222, 224, 226 to the cavity of the housing 102 on the right and left sides of the slider 202.

In some example embodiments, a retaining structure 506 (e.g., the retaining structure 402 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B or a snap ring) may be attached to the inner surface of the housing 102 to restrict the lateral movement of the rotor 202 toward the right side in the orientation shown in FIG. 5. In some example embodiments, another retaining structure 508 (e.g., a snap ring or another structure) may be attached to the inner surface of the housing 102 to restrict the lateral movement of the rotor 202 toward the left side (i.e., toward an end cap 514) in the orientation shown in FIG. 5.

In some example embodiments, the rotor 204 has been rotated by applying pulses to the stator 104 as described above to position the slider 202 as shown in FIG. 5, for example, for a cooling operation mode of a heat pump system. For example, a portion 510 of the shaft 206 is positioned in the attachment hole 228 of the rotor 204 such that the shaft 206 extends outside of the rotor 204 to place the slider 202 in a desired position that establishes desired refrigerant flow paths through the electronic reversing valve 100.

To illustrate, the port 106, the channel 222, and the port 110 may define a refrigerant flow path (shown by the arrow A) that allows refrigerant to flow through the electronic reversing valve 100. For example, the port 106 may be fluidly connected to a discharge port of a compressor, and the port 110 may be connected to an outdoor coil, where the flow path through the channel 222 allows the hot refrigerant to flow from the compressor to the outdoor coil. The port 112, the channel 226, and the port 108 may define another refrigerant flow path (shown by the arrow B) that allows refrigerant to flow through the electronic reversing valve 100. For example, the port 108 may be fluidly connected to a suction port of the compressor, and the port 112 may be connected to an indoor coil, where the flow path through the channel 226 allows refrigerant to flow from the indoor coil to the compressor.

In some example embodiments, in the position of the slider 202 shown in FIG. 5, the channel 224 may be generally closed off by the housing 102. To illustrate, the openings 216, 220 (more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3B) may be misaligned with the ports of the housing 102 and may be abutted against the inner surface of the housing 102.

In some example embodiments, the bleed port 306 may allow a refrigerant that may be trapped between the slider 202 and an end wall 512 of the housing 102 to flow to the channel 224. Allowing trapped refrigerant to flow to the channel 224 enables the slider 202 to move laterally to a desired position and reduces the resistance force that may be exerted against the slider 202 by the trapped refrigerant. The bleed channel 308 also serves a similar purpose as the slider 202 moves laterally toward the rotor 204.

In some example embodiments, the end cap 514 may be attached to the cylindrical portion of the housing 102 to seal the internal components of the electronic reversing valve 100 inside the housing 102. For example, the end cap 514 may be removably attached by screwing the end cap 514 onto the cylindrical portion of the housing 102. To illustrate, a silicone or other gasket may be used to adequately seal the end cap 514. Alternatively, the end cap 514 may be welded or otherwise more permanently attached to the cylindrical portion of the housing 102.

In some example embodiments, the electronic reversing valve 100 having the slider 202 positioned as shown in FIG. 5 may be used in a heating mode operation of a heat pump system without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, in a heat pump system where the port 110 is coupled to an outdoor coil and where the port 112 is coupled to an indoor coil, the position of the slider 202 shown in FIG. 5 may correspond to a heating mode operation of the heat pump system.

FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the electronic reversing valve 100 of FIG. 1 configured to operate in a second mode according to an example embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the electronic reversing valve 100 may be used in a heating mode operation of a heat pump system. In FIG. 6, the stator 104 is not shown for clarity of illustration. Referring to FIGS. 1-6, in some example embodiments, the slider 202 may be moved from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown in FIG. 6 and vice versa by applying appropriate polarity electrical pulses to the stator 104 as described above.

In FIG. 6, a relatively longer portion 602 of the shaft 206 (as compared to the portion 510 shown in FIG. 5) is positioned in the attachment hole 228 of the rotor 204 such that a smaller portion of the shaft 206 extends outside of the rotor 204 as compared to FIG. 5. That is, the lateral movement of the shaft 206 resulting from the rotation of the rotor 204 has moved the slider 202 closer to rotor establishing desired refrigerant flow paths through the electronic reversing valve 100.

To illustrate, in FIG. 6, the port 106, the channel 224, and the port 112 may define a refrigerant flow path (shown by the arrow C) that allows refrigerant to flow through the electronic reversing valve 100. For example, the port 106 may be fluidly connected to a discharge port of a compressor, and the port 112 may be connected to an indoor coil, where the flow path through the channel 224 allows the hot refrigerant to flow from the compressor to the indoor coil (in a heating mode). The port 110, the channel 226, and the port 108 may define another refrigerant flow path (shown by the arrow D) that allows refrigerant to flow through the electronic reversing valve 100. For example, the port 108 may be fluidly connected to a suction port of the compressor, and the port 110 may be connected to an indoor coil, where the refrigerant flow path through the channel 226 allows refrigerant to flow from the indoor coil to the compressor.

In some example embodiments, in the position of the slider 202 shown in FIG. 6, the channel 22 may be generally closed off by the housing 102 in a similar manner as described with respect to the channel 224 in FIG. 5. In some example embodiments, the bleed port 308 may allow a refrigerant that may be trapped between the slider 202 and the rotor 204 to flow to the channel 222. Allowing trapped refrigerant to flow to the channel 222 enables the slider 202 to move laterally to a desired position and reduces the resistance force that may be exerted against the slider 202 by the trapped refrigerant.

In some example embodiments, the electronic reversing valve 100 having the slider 202 positioned as shown in FIG. 6 may be used in a cooling mode operation of a heat pump system without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, in a heat pump system where the port 110 is coupled to an indoor coil and where the port 112 is coupled to an outdoor coil, the position of the slider 202 shown in FIG. 6 may correspond to a cooling mode operation of the heat pump system.

FIG. 7 illustrates a heat pump system 700 including the electronic reversing valve 100 of FIG. 1 in a cooling mode of operation according to an example embodiment. For example, the electronic reversing valve 100 may be configured as shown in FIG. 5 to operate in a cooling mode of the heat pump system 700. Referring to FIGS. 1-7, in some example embodiments, the system 700 includes an indoor coil 702, an outdoor coil 704, a compressor 706, and the electronic reversing valve 100. The system 700 may also include an expansion valve 708 that is between the indoor coil 702 and the outdoor coil 704.

In FIG. 7, the dotted arrow between the ports 112 and 108 shows the direction of the refrigerant flow from the indoor coil to a suction port of the compressor 706 through the electronic reversing valve 100. The dotted arrow between the ports 106 and 110 shows the direction of the refrigerant flow from the discharge port of the compressor 706 to the outdoor coil 704 through the electronic reversing valve 100. As shown in FIG. 7, the indoor coil operates as an evaporator coil, and the outdoor coil operates as a condenser coil.

In some example embodiments, the controller (or a control board) 710 may control operations of the heat pump system 700. For example, the controller 710 may control whether the heat pump system 700 operates in cooling mode or a heating mode and the change over from one mode of operation to another. For example, the controller 710, which may include a microcontroller along with supporting components, may provide and control the electrical pulses that are provided to the stator 104 of the electronic reversing valve 100 to change the operation mode of the electronic reversing valve 100 from a heating mode to the cooling mode illustrated in FIG. 7 or vice versa.

In some example embodiments, the system 700 may include components other than shown in FIG. 7 without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the system 700 may include valve(s), filter(s), a drier(s), etc. in one or more of the refrigerant lines as can be readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure. In some alternative embodiments, in another heat pump system, the port 110 may be coupled to the indoor coil 702, and the port 112 may be coupled to the outdoor coil 704.

FIG. 8 illustrates the heat pump system 700 including the electronic reversing valve of FIG. 1 in a heating mode of operation according to an example embodiment. In some example embodiments, the controller 710 controls the stator 104 to change the operation of the system 700 from the cooling mode operation shown in FIG. 7 to the heating mode operation of FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the dotted arrow between the port 110 and the port 108 shows the direction of the refrigerant flow from the outdoor coil 704 to the suction port of the compressor 706 through the electronic reversing valve 100. The dotted arrow between the ports 106 and the port 112 shows the direction of the refrigerant flow from the discharge port of the compressor 706 to the indoor coil 704 through the electronic reversing valve 100. As shown in FIG. 8, the indoor coil operates as a condenser coil, and the outdoor coil operates as an evaporator coil.

Although particular embodiments have been described herein in detail, the descriptions are by way of example. The features of the embodiments described herein are representative and, in alternative embodiments, certain features, elements, and/or steps may be added or omitted. Additionally, modifications to aspects of the embodiments described herein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims, the scope of which are to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass modifications and equivalent structures. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic reversing valve for use in a heat pump system, the electronic reversing valve comprising: a housing having multiple ports; a slider positioned in a cavity of the housing, the slider having multiple channels, wherein the multiple ports and the multiple channels define refrigerant flow paths depending on a position of the slider in the cavity of the housing; a rotor positioned in the cavity of the housing; and a stator positioned outside of the housing, wherein the slider is moveable laterally within the cavity of the housing in response to a rotation of the rotor and wherein the rotor is designed to rotate in response to a magnetic force generated by the stator.
 2. The electronic reversing valve of claim 1, wherein the slider is moveable laterally away from the rotor when the rotor rotates in a first direction and wherein the slider is moveable laterally toward the rotor when the rotor rotates in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.
 3. The electronic reversing valve of claim 2, further comprising a shaft attached to the rotor and to the slider, wherein the rotor is rotatable about a portion of the shaft, wherein the portion of the shaft is attached to the rotor, and wherein the slider is moveable laterally along with the shaft.
 4. The electronic reversing valve of claim 3, wherein the portion of the shaft is threaded and wherein the portion of the shaft is positioned in a threaded attachment hole of the rotor.
 5. The electronic reversing valve of claim 4, wherein an end portion of the shaft is attached to the slider and wherein the shaft is rotatable relative to the slider.
 6. The electronic reversing valve of claim 1, further comprising one or more retaining structures positioned in the cavity of the housing to prevent a lateral movement of the rotor.
 7. The electronic reversing valve of claim 6, wherein the one or more retaining structures include a first snap ring attached to an inner surface of the housing between the rotor and the slider.
 8. The electronic reversing valve of claim 1, wherein the stator is annularly positioned around a portion of the housing such that the stator is at least partially aligned with the rotor.
 9. The electronic reversing valve of claim 1, further comprising one or more bleed channels fluidly connecting the cavity of the housing with one or more channels of the multiple channels.
 10. The electronic reversing valve of claim 1, wherein the multiple ports include: an outdoor unit connection port; an indoor unit connection port; a discharge line input port designed to be fluidly coupled to a discharge port of a compressor of the heat pump system; and a suction line output port designed to be fluidly coupled to a suction port of the compressor of the heat pump system.
 11. The electronic reversing valve of claim 10, wherein the multiple channels comprise: a first channel formed through the slider; a second channel formed through the slider; and a third channel formed in the slider, wherein the discharge line input port, the first channel, and the indoor unit connection port define a first refrigerant flow path when the slider is in a first position and wherein the discharge line input port, the second channel, and the outdoor unit connection port define a second refrigerant flow path when the slider is in a second position.
 12. The electronic reversing valve of claim 11, wherein the outdoor unit connection port, the third channel, and the suction line output port define a third refrigerant flow path when the slider is in the first position and wherein the indoor unit connection port, the third channel, and the suction line output port define a fourth refrigerant flow path when the slider is in the second position.
 13. A rotor and slider assembly of an electronic reversing valve for use in a heat pump system, the rotor and slider assembly comprising: a slider having multiple channels; a rotor; and a shaft attached to the rotor and to the slider, wherein the rotor is rotatable about a portion of the shaft that is attached to the rotor, wherein the shaft is moveable laterally in response to a rotation of the rotor, and wherein the slider is moveable laterally along with the shaft.
 14. The rotor and slider assembly of claim 13, wherein the slider is moveable laterally away from the rotor when the rotor rotates in a first direction and wherein the slider is moveable laterally toward the rotor when the rotor rotates in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.
 15. The rotor and slider assembly of claim 13, wherein the portion of the shaft is threaded and wherein the portion of the shaft is positioned in a threaded attachment hole of the rotor.
 16. The rotor and slider assembly of claim 13, wherein an end portion of the shaft is attached to the slider and wherein the shaft is rotatable relative to the slider.
 17. The rotor and slider assembly of claim 13, wherein the multiple channels comprise: a first channel providing a first flow path through the slider; a second channel providing a second flow path through the slider; and a third channel formed in the slider.
 18. A heat pump system, comprising: an indoor coil; an outdoor coil; a compressor; and an electronic reversing valve, wherein the electronic reversing valve comprises: a housing having multiple ports; a slider positioned in the cavity of the housing, the slider having multiple channels, wherein the multiple ports and the multiple channels define refrigerant flow paths between the compressor, and the indoor coil and the outdoor coil based on a position of the slider in the cavity of the housing; a rotor positioned in the cavity of the housing; and a stator positioned outside of the housing, wherein the slider is moveable laterally within the cavity of the housing in response to a rotation of the rotor and wherein the rotor is designed to rotate in response to a magnetic force generated by the stator.
 19. The heat pump system of claim 18, wherein the slider is moveable laterally away from the rotor when the rotor rotates in a first direction and wherein the slider is moveable laterally toward the rotor when the rotor rotates in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.
 20. The heat pump system of claim 18, further comprising a shaft attached to the rotor and to the slider, wherein the rotor is rotatable about a portion of the shaft that is attached to the rotor and wherein the slider is moveable laterally along with the shaft. 